THE STAR TREATMENT

Sundance Film Festival 'too obscene'

Group calls on state to stop funding event

Published: 01/15/2013 at 5:15 PM

(WCFCOURIER) — A conservative Utah group believes the Sundance Film Festival’s lineup featuring “obscene” movies is at odds with Utah’s culture of family values, and wants the state to pull its financial backing.

The Sutherland Institute says the state shouldn’t back a festival that features films about porn stars and women having affairs with one another’s adult sons. He’s referring to a pair of movies featuring well-known Hollywood actresses: “Lovelace” starring Amanda Seyfried, and “Two Mothers” starring Naomi Watts and Robin Wright. “Lovelace” is rated R. “Two Mothers” is not yet rated.

The festival kicks off Thursday in Park City, Utah.

The Salt Lake City-based institute isn’t saying Sundance should leave Utah – but rather that the state should pull its financial backing, said Derek Monson, Sutherland Institute’s director of public policy.

“There are a lot of people here that find that kind of thing objectionable,” Monson said. “We are a family friendly state and we endeavor to be so because we value the benefits that strong families bring to society.”